Rockets hit Israel despite 'truce'

Palestinian relatives mourn over the body of six-year-old Ali al-Shwaf during his funeral in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza Strip on June 23, 2012. He was killed during an Israeli air strike in Gaza and his father and another man were wounded in the shelling. UPI/Ismael Mohamad | License Photo

The body of six-year-old Palestinian, Ali al-Shwaf is seen at the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip on June 23, 2012 after he was killed during Israeli air strikes in Gaza. Two others were wounded. UPI/Ismael Mohamad | License Photo

A Palestinian medic tends to Moataz al-Shwaf, the father of a six-year-old Palestinian boy, Ali al-Shwaf, who was killed during Israeli air strikes in Gaza, at a European Union hospital in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on June 23, 2012. Two others were wounded in the shelling . UPI/Ismael Mohamad | License Photo

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 24 (UPI) -- More than 60 Grad and Qassam rockets were fired at southern Israel during the weekend despite a shaky cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, officials said.

Sunday morning, two mortar shells exploded in the Western Negev Desert, no one was injured and no damage reported, Israel Radio said. One Israeli was injured when a rocket exploded near a factory in Sderot Saturday, the Channel 2 television network said.

'Israel Defense Forces will act forcefully against those who are trying to harm us, and if necessary, will act even more forcefully. Our policy is to use force in order to return security and quiet to the residents of the South," The Jerusalem Post quoted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu saying at Sunday's Cabinet meeting.

Saturday night an Iron Dome missile defense battery deployed in the south, successfully intercepted five Grad rockets fired at the city of Ashkelon, the television report said.

The Israeli Army said it will continue to maintain its policy of "fire will be met with fire and quiet by quiet," Channel 2 said.

Since the eruption of violence Monday when an Israeli construction worker was killed by terrorists near the border fence with Egypt, some 16 Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory Israeli air strikes in Gaza, the television station said.

Although Hamas has officially accepted the Egyptian-brokered cease-fire it has done little to enforce it, Haaretz reported.